Tips for a Greener Bathroom

A couple months ago, after I’d begun this journey of (slowly) revamping my lifestyle and trying to make more creation-friendly choices, I looked in my shower.

Literally a dozen plastic bottles stared me in the face.

I hadn’t thought about it before, but with scrutinous eyes shaped by a desire to be a better creation steward, I couldn’t believe how much plastic dominated this space. Plastic shampoo and conditioner bottles. Plastic body wash bottles. Plastic face wash bottles.

So. Many. Bottles.

Not to mention, when you exit the shower, you’re faced with plastic toothpaste tubes, plastic floss picks, plastic lotion bottles, etc.

All this to say, I still have a lot of work to do to eco-fy (I think I just made that up—feel free to use it!*) our bathrooms, but I wanted to share some of the changes we’ve made. And I’m sure I’ll be writing about more down the road as we discover new ways to reduce plastic, reuse products, and continue respecting and stewarding the precious limited space and resources of the Earth.

The easiest change to make, in my opinion, is switching from bottled body soap to bar soap. Maybe one day I'll even learn to make my own!

Tip #1: As much as possible, switch from bottles to bars.

This package comes with two bars.

I’d say we’re in “phase one” of this change. So far, I have switched from plastic-bottle body wash (which, by the way, was animal-cruelty-free and chemical-free and made with responsibly sourced palm oil—all the things—but still, it was in a plastic bottle) to 100% natural organic bar soap. This was a pretty easy (and pretty obvious) change that I could have made a while ago. I just didn’t think about it.

Though smaller than I imagined, they last a while.

The other bottle-to-bar switch I made was less obvious (to me at least). I found bar-form face wash made by Ethique. These are plastic-free, made with renewable ingredients, and made to last—in fact, they advertise that one bar “is equivalent to three bottles of liquid cleanser.” Here’s what I like: the soap doesn’t dry out my face, and in the long run, I can save money because I’m not buying face soap as often.

You can also find bar shampoos and bar conditioners. I haven’t purchased any yet because we still have bottles to get through. And personally, I think wasting the products you’ve already bought is counter to the goal: just wait until those products are gone, and then, instead of repurchasing the same bottle or brand, search for a better option.

That’s my suggestion anyway.

Tip #2: For non-bar products, try to find an eco-friendly alternative.

My personal example of this is with floss. My husband and daughter prefer floss sticks, which (as far as I knew) were always made with plastic.

I was wrong.

I had no idea that such a thing as organic floss picks even existed until I did a quick search. The handle is made from “vegan corn starch” and the floss portion is made from “strong bamboo charcoal.” They’re 100% biodegradable because they’re 100% made from natural materials, and they work—they don’t bend or snap or floss any differently than their better-known plastic cousins.

But let me be clear: my point is not that everyone should run out and buy these floss picks. My point is simply this: whatever bathroom products you’re attached to, rather than giving up on them or (arguably worse) continuing to buy the same ole thing because you haven’t envisioned a better option, do a little digging. Who knows what eco-friendly alternatives you might come up with?

And when you find them, I hope you will share! 💛

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*So I looked up this term after writing, and apparently there’s a whole site called Ecofy that sells (among other things) filters for alkaline water. Who knew?